Very much a country course, Uttoxeter Racecourse is 17 miles from Stoke-on-Trent and 20 from Derby.

Uttoxeter does hold meetings at various points during the year, but its highlight is undoubtedly the Midlands Grand National in March.

Along with Newcastle’s Eider Chase, the Welsh Grand National and the Scottish Grand National, the Midlands National is one of the top long-distance handicap chases in the country and attracts a lot of betting activity.

Uttoxeter Track Details

Uttoxeter’s hurdle and chase courses are left-handed and basically pretty sharp, making speed an important factor when the ground is quick enough and with front-running types favoured when that happens.

Conversely, when the heavens open and despite its sharp nature it can get very gruelling so as well as a proven liking for soft or heavy conditions, your horse will need to have guaranteed stamina in order to see out the relevant trip.

If you can find the relevant information, when the ground is OK and because of the speed angle here you will also want a horse who can travel very easily.

Look out for comments, regardless of the end result, such as “travelled well” or “travelled easily throughout” as these are the types who do well here. This is the same whether you’re betting on a hurdle or chase race.

Like a number of Britain’s jumps tracks then, your handicap betting strategy really needs to adapt to underfoot conditions. Look out for front-running or at least handy types with strong figures on the clock when the ground is good or faster, but make sure your horse has serious stamina when the going is soft or worse here as they are really going to need it.

Best Trainers and Jockeys at Uttoxeter

One handicap betting angle is to check out who has been doing well at Uttoxeter in recent seasons. The top trainers in terms of strike-rate, prize money and wins are:

• Dan Skelton
• Nicky Henderson
• Neil Mulholland
• Dr Richard Newland
• Kerry Lee
• Fergal O’Brien
• Nigel Twiston-Davies
• Olly Murphy
• Harry Fry

The better-performing jockeys at Uttoxeter traditionally are:

• Harry Skelton
• Sean Bowen
• Richard Johnson
• Robbie Dunne
• Aidan Coleman
• James Bowen

Uttoxeter’s Showpiece Event

While there are some competitive fixtures at Uttoxeter and the Listed-class Summer Cup is another highlight, it is all about the Midlands Grand National here.

Run on a Saturday in March, the Midlands National is a Listed race handicap run over a mammoth 4 miles, 2 furlongs and 8 yards. Naturally the races takes a lot of getting, especially when the ground is soft.

This is by far the biggest betting race of the season at Uttoxeter and the one all punters, as well as jockeys and trainers, want to win.